One of the important things to note, is when we read the Bible, we must NOT interpret what we read, as to according our day, our time periods. We use a 24hr way of thinking. The Jews did not. We say 24hrs in a day. Jesus said, Jn 11: 9 are there not 12 hours in a day (Greek)? To the Jew, the day was sunrise to sunset. It had 12 hours. And this day, was divided into the 3rd hour, the 6th hour and the 9th hour. (This is our 9am, 12pm and 3pm). Mth 20: 1-6 has the 3rd hour, the 6th, the 9th, the 11th hour (5pm). Prayer was at morning, noon, night or the 3rd, 6th, 9th hour- Dan 6: 10, Ps 55: 17. The sacred ceremonies were performed in the morning and the 9th hour. 9am and 3pm our time. Their 3rd and 9th hour. Luke 1: 9 the burning of incense was the 3rd hour. Acts 2:15 is actually, it is the 3rd hour of the day. Jesus was crucified at the 3rd hour (our 9am). The 6th hour Jesus stopped at the well to pray John 4: 6 at the 6th hour. The darkness covered the land-6th hour to 9th hour Mth 27:45ff. And Jesus died at the 9th hour. What was that? It was the time of the evening sacrifice. Jesus’ death, perfectly fit the Jewish evening sacrifice, at the 9th hour, or 3pm. Peter had his vision Acts 10: 9 is 6th hour. Cornelius prayed Acts 10: 3 at the 9th hour. Sadly, all translations have changed the 3rd, 6th, 9th to modern 24hr clock. Hence, we lose the richness of the following. You need Hebrew culture, to understand about Jesus and the NT, yet, sadly, it has been changed. So we think of evening as after 9pm. No. Evening sacrifice was 9th hour (3pm). Morning sacrifice was 3rd hour (9am). And there is the 6th hour. So, now, let’s understand - 1 Kings 18: 29- the kept raving, till evening sacrifice, that is 9th hour, that is our 3pm. Daniel 9: 21- the time of the evening sacrifice; that is 9th hour, that is 3pm. Now, let us understand Ps 141: 2. Verse 2- prayers= incense = 3rd hour (9am). Raised hands = dead animal= 9th hour (3pm). What David is saying, may my PRAYER in the morning, and my RAISED hands in the afternoon, equal ALL the Jewish ceremonies. What this means, is he was/wanted the consciousness of YHWH all the time in his day. We should be conscious of God, all day long. And for us, we call that 24hrs. It is no different to them. It is not the bull we sacrifice; it is the raising of hands. It is not the incense we sacrifice, it is the prayer. Let us forever be conscious of our LORD and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
MCC Admn
20 Tishrei 5781